Cultivation 101
by shefalls
Summary: In a parallel universe where spiritual arts are very much alive and the road to cultivation is the path of the lucky few, Modern Girl Higurashi Kagome is suddenly thrown 800 years into the past! "I've got all the cheat codes, and I ain't sharing none! HAHA!"
1. Prologue

**A/N**

**Hello there, welcome to Cultivation 101!  
If you're at all familiar with wuxia aka martial-arts novels, you're probably guessing what's going on. If you aren't, never fear, it'll be explained as we go.  
Some notes:  
This is so thoroughly an AU, it's not even in the same universe as Inuyasha.  
Kagome will without a doubt be ragingly OOC. It's intentional.  
This is a firm T, mostly for language, perhaps some violence later on.  
This fic is meant to be lighthearted. Sure, it'll have some serious points along the way, but it's not meant to have any sort of epic plot whatsoever. I've actually gotten hooked on several wuxia novels lately (which is why I'm not writing anything, I'm too busy discovering a world of joy), and this is me, shamelessly amusing myself.  
As always, your comments are welcome.**

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha is property of Takahashi Rumiko.**

* * *

**Prologue**

In the infinite multiverse there is a world remarkably similar to our own.  
The same countries, the same people, even much of history is exactly the same. If you were to visit it, you'll be assimilated real quick, 99% guaranteed success!  
But in that world, there's one thing that's not at all like in our world. One thing that is the most important, the centre of existence.

CULTIVATION!

The spiritual arts are alive and thriving, rooted deeply in all cultures across the globe, in infinite forms and countless traditions. Those with potential are scouted young, screened and scooped up by prestigious schools to undergo ruthless training with the hope that they may be accepted into one of the great Sects or Clans.

Everybody wants to either be a cultivator, marry a cultivator or be the parent of a cultivator.  
If a cultivator's your sibling it's worth nothing – you can't claim benefits. Same for cousins. But if its your own child? Your partner in marriage? The Heavenly Gates of Prosperity will inevitably open up and rain good fortune on your head!

In Japan of the 21st century there's exactly one limit that can prevent even the most talented, the greatest of geniuses, from practising cultivation… _those of mixed-blood are prohibited!_

* * *

'Do you want to be a cultivator?'

Duh, doesn't everybody?

'Are you willing to do whatever it takes?'

Within reason, yeah? I'm not self-mutilating.

'Are you willing to leave everything and everyone you know behind?'

What is this, twenty dumbass questions? Hell yes, I am!

'Then state your name and never look back!'

Listen up! I'm Higurashi Kagome and I'm gonna rise higher than anybody else! I'm gonna be a god!


	2. 1

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

**Cultivation 101 – I**

The Spiritual Realm exists parallel to the Mortal Realm, covering that which is simple with a layer of protection and divinity. Though the two realms are tightly connected, they are not at all the same. In fact, one can say that these two realms are two separate worlds, joined together by the souls that travel between them.

The Mountain of Holy Mist has it's roots in the Mortal Realm, towering over the famed city of Edo to the south, bordering on the Goshinboku Forest to the east, drinking from the Longevity River to the west and standing proudly as the final and tallest peak of the Perilous Range to the north. This mountain is precious not because of its ideal location though. No, the Mountain of Holy Mist has become famous because it houses a Cultivation Sect that is a beacon of divine beauty in this world.

At the top of the Mountain of Holy Mist there is a paradise. Amongst the trees and stones a legendary saint has built her abode more than three thousand years ago. Over the centuries, as the saint gathered disciples and cultivated her own path of spirituality, the originally humble little temple expanded and turned into a vast shrine. This shrine has no official name, but people have taken to calling it after the sect it houses. A sect of only female cultivators. On a windy day, one can smell the incense and sandalwood drifting down the slopes of the mountain, reminding the common people of the heavenly maidens residing above them, giving them hope and protection.

Yes, the Mountain of Holy Mist is home to the Shikon Sect!

* * *

The mid-morning prayer bell rung from the Tower of Wind, announcing the end of morning leisure and the official beginning of the day. Spring was in full swing on the mountain, and many of the trees grew fresh green leaves and bloomed in vivid pinks, violets and reds, heralding the warmer season. Still, the smell of incense and sandalwood, with the occasional sprinkle of cinnamon, brought with it a permanent chill – not unpleasant, but refreshing.

On the Mountain of Holy Mist nothing could ever be unpleasant.

"I'm telling you! Settle down right now!"

"Or what, or what?"

"Look at her! Fresh Senior Disciple is already throwing her weight around!"

"I say, let's teach her a lesson!"

"Grab her!"

Many young voices shrieked, but one screeched louder than the others, and soon peals of laughter could be heard, rolling out of the windows.

A gaggle of girls gathered around one red-faced girl. All but the blushing girl wore traditional priestess garbs with a plain white haori and red hakama. That one girl's haori had intricate embroidery around her collar and the edges of her sleeves, made with golden and red silk threads. Next to her fellows' bland clothing, it truly stood out.

"Tickle her to death!"

"All those who advance alone must suffer!"

"Oh?" a playful voice broke through the mayhem and the band of girls promptly froze. "I advanced alone. Should I suffer, too?"

"Senior Kagome!" the girls chirped and quickly dashed to take their seats, obediently sitting down properly without being asked.

"Senior Kagome is Senior Kagome, of course it's different!"

"Senior Kagome's been a genius from the start, too!"

This Senior Kagome was a young woman of indiscernible age. She could be just shy of twenty, but she could also be over forty. Such was the case with experienced spiritual masters. Though she wore the same red hakama and embroidered haori as the blushing girl, her clothes were topped by a tight leather chest plate. The leather was expertly moulded and decorated. The young woman's black hair was tied in a long braid, reaching her hips, and a pair of blue eyes twinkled merrily at the girls from beneath her trimmed bangs.

"Well then, girls," the young woman smiled. "Class is in session! Let's talk meridians, hmm?"

"No, Senior Kagome!"

"Don't make us, please!"

The girls may have protested, loudly and dramatically, but they still unrolled their scrolls and class promptly began in an orderly fashion. Truly a contrast to how they behaved before, when faced with another senior disciple.

"I don't understand." A girl of about fourteen whispered. "Everybody threw a fit when Senior Asuka meant to teach the class, why listen to Senior Kagome?"

"Eh, it's totally different!" the girl next to her waved her fingers dismissively. "Totally different!"

"I don't understand."

"Asuka-chan only advanced a week ago," the other girl huffed.

"Senior Kagome advanced two hundred years ago." another girl, who sat behind the first, gushed excitedly.

"Eh?!" the first girl gasped. "And she's still only a senior disciple?"

"Only -?" the third girl choked. "You – you're new, right? From last month's selection?"

"Yes."

"What are you girls gossiping about?" Senior Kagome's voice whispered and suddenly the girls realised she squatted between them, blue eyes teasing. She must've joined them awhile ago, as the rest of the class were stifling their giggles with their hands and watching with interest.

"Ah! Senior Kagome!" the third girl yelped, "sorry!"

"Naoko-chan," Senior Kagome chuckled, "what is the punishment for not paying attention?"

"Transcribe the Lotus Sutra one hundred times."

"Yep. Get to it after class."

"Okay, Senior Kagome!"

Naoko sounded much too excited for someone who was just punished.

"And what's your name?" Senior Kagome eyed the newly accepted girl curiously. "I don't believe we've met."

"Oh, umm, I'm Konami, Senior Kagome. I was accepted last month."

"Ooh, from this century's inauguration?" Senior Kagome smiled brightly, "I heard there's only three girls this time! What luck, what luck. Do you like it here so far? Have you settled in alright?"

"Senior!" Naoko wailed, "you're too nice! This newcomer, she doesn't even know who you are!"

"Ey, Naoko-chan, just because you're a top fan, doesn't mean everybody else is!" a girl teased from the front of the class.

Naoko stuck her tongue out childishly.

"That's enough of that," Senior Kagome huffed out a laugh and then extended a hand to Konami, offering another bright smile. "My name is Kagome. I'm a twelfth degree senior disciple of the Shikon Sect, and the apprentice of our third Elder, Kikyo-sama. I should've come to greet your sooner."

"Y-you –" Konami blushed a deep red and promptly bowed until her forehead touched the floor, thoroughly flustered. "I apologise for my ignorance! It's an honour to meet you, Senior Kagome-sama!"

Senior Kagome's eyebrow twitched.

'All this worship,' she thought, 'if only they knew… that I'm a total cheat! Hahaha! I'm the best, I'm the best!'

* * *

Higurashi Kagome, aged sixteen, woke up to the sound of incessant buzzing.

The last thing she remembered was going to bed after receiving another rejection from the Cultivation Committee, and having the strangest dream of her life.

A woman spoke to her, she remembered. Offered to allow Kagome to do what she'd always wanted, what she felt she born for. To cultivate, openly and truly. A long, pale arm, with slender fingers reached for Kagome and Kagome grabbed it, properly excited and willing, and then – then she was pulled.

Pulled, and pulled, to the point even vertigo couldn't be felt anymore.

Then something kept buzzing in her goddamn ear, and for the love of karma if that thing didn't fuck right off –

"What the hell?!"

Kagome finally realised she was laying in a haystack. An honest to god haystack, with the smell of farm animals all around. Kagome had never even seen a farm before, and last time she checked, she lived in the Tokyo Metropolis, not the bloody countryside!

And that buzzing she heard? A beetle crawled on her forehead.

Kagome screeched, smacked the bug right off her and hauled herself out of the hay. As she did her best to clean off, pulling straying leaves and stems away from her person, she suddenly realised two things.

The first, that this wasn't a very realistic dream.

The second, she was wearing a traditional yukata. An ugly ass yukata, of the most hideous orange colour Kagome has ever been unfortunate enough to witness. It did nothing for her complexion, no sir.

"What the hell?!" Kagome repeated, horrified.

'You wanted to cultivate, did you not?' a cold voice sounded in her head, and Kagome very nearly pissed herself from surprise. 'Hurry up to the town square. The next inauguration's in a century. If you miss this one, you'll never have another chance!'

Kagome knew this voice.

It was the voice from her dream. She was 100% certain, and Kagome was never wrong when she was over 70% certain.

Of course, this probably had to do with the fact she war a certified genius, with an IQ of over 140, true and tested by the age of six. All this brain, all this talent, and she was still forbidden from participating. All because she had blue eyes. All because her great-grandfather came from outside Japan.

'Are you not listening?' the voice scolded. 'Go to the town square! The inauguration is almost at an end! This is your last chance, here your blood means nothing!'

'How am I supposed to find the town square?' Kagome thought angrily, 'and where the hell am I?!'

'Use your eyes.' The voice snapped, and Kagome felt the foreign presence, whoever it was, rip itself away and leave her behind. Apparently she was to fend for herself, now.

Just as well.

'Aight!' Kagome gushed, 'let's get this done!'

Something behind her buzzed again.

She turned to look, and to her horror the bug she'd previously smacked wasn't any sort of beetle at all. It was a hornet. A very angry, vengeful hornet.

Kagome gave a screech and bolted, followed by an angry insect determined to sting her to death.

* * *

"Senior Kagome?"

Kagome blinked.

She'd dozed off.

It was almost sunset, and the mountain air was chilly. Kagome sat under the Ivy Pavilion, named thus because the entire structure was covered with the plant. It overlooked the spiritual pool of the Shikon Sect, and was Kagome's favourite hiding spot from her Master. Her Master couldn't swim and was deathly terrified of water, and so avoided the spiritual lake whenever possible.

She blinked and turned to look at who'd spoken.

It was Minami, the apprentice of Tsubaki, the Shikon Sect's fourth Elder.

Elder Tsubaki and Elder Kikyo had joined the sect at the same inauguration, trained under the same master and advanced at the same time. Many thought they hated each other with a passion, and Kagome herself believed this at first, too. The truth was, Elder Tsubaki and Elder Kikyo were a classic case of 'distance makes the heart grow fonder'. When apart, they continuously praised the other, longed to meet up again and reminisced about how much fun they had when they were young. When together, they were at each other's throats, making snide comments, engaging in childish feuds and pulling spiteful pranks.

As the apprentices of both women, Kagome and Minami spent an equal amount of time causing and cleaning up their Masters' mess. They were pretty close.

Minami had joined the Shikon Sect a century before Kagome, but had become an apprentice fifty years after her – as Tsubaki had only bothered to choose an apprentice when it became apparent that Kikyo wasn't in fact joking, and fully intended to _keep_ Kagome. Minami had also become a Senior Disciple nearly a hundred and fifty years after Kagome. Neither of the apprentices cared, but Kikyo rudely shoved it in Tsubaki's face whenever she could.

Sometimes, it was difficult to believe they were both over eight hundred years old.

'Then again, our Sect Immortal is over three thousand years old, and she's a hot mess.' Kagome thought wryly.

"Minami-senpai," Kagome greeted with a smile. "What's up?"

"I heard Makoto's been mouthing off again."

Makoto was the sassy disciple from Kagome's morning classes. She was Minami's great-great-niece.

"Not more than usual." Kagome waved her hand dismissively and Minami joined her at the pavilion, and smoothly pulled out two wine jugs from her sleeves. "Ah! Minami-senpai! You're amazing!"

"Aren't I?" Minami wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "So? Are the rumours true? Is Elder Kikyo really going to receive another calamity?"

"Eeeh," Kagome pouted, "I should've known. You're here to snoop, aren't you?"

"That means it's true." Minami laughed, "I'm here to plan ahead. Tsubaki-sama is also receiving another calamity."

"No way." Kagome smacked her forehead with one hand and reached for a wine jug with the other. "Not again."

"Twin jades will always be twin jades." Minami lamented playfully, and took hold of the other jaw. "Do you think Midoriko-hime will let us enter isolated cultivation to avoid the whole fiasco?"

"D'you have any money?" Kagome asked, "because she will for money."

"Our Sect Immortal really doesn't have any face when it comes to gold, huh?"

Both apprentices sighed heavily, clicked the wine jugs together and drank deeply.

* * *

Most high-level cultivators and all Immortals were shameless. It was a fact known only by those who'd cultivated for a good amount of years. The Sects did their utmost to hide their Immortal's depravity from younger disciples and the Mortal Realm, at most any cost. After all, who'd want to follow a money-obsessed lunatic, an ancient horn dog or a trigger-happy alcoholic?

Truth be told, the Shikon Sect was lucky to have landed the money-obsessed lunatic, out of the lot. Of course, Kagome would've personally preferred to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Inu-no-Kimi, who survived to the twenty first century of the Mortal Realm and led the Heavenly Moon Sect with an iron fist then. But only Kagome knew Inu-no-Kimi would do that.

Well, Only Kagome, her Master and her Sect Immortal.

After all, it was Midoriko-hime who opened a path through time and found Kagome, and it was Elder Kikyo who'd slipped into Kagome's dreams and pulled her back eight hundred years. Then they dumped her in a haystack, dressed in rags, to fend for herself!

Of course, Kagome only 'fended-for-herself' for approximately the twenty minutes it took her to sprint into the town square, rudely interrupt the ongoing inauguration, get scolded by the overseeing official and then proceed to successfully complete the invocation. Since then she'd been watched like a hawk by Elder Kikyo, who worked her to the bone yet coddled her to near suffocation in equal measure.

But that was beside the point.

Yes, Kagome came from the future.

That was the secret behind her rapid advancement and supposed genius. When she came from, the techniques of this time had been long perfected and evolved into quicker, more secured methods of cultivation. Though she'd been unable to cultivate as a child, she still had access to those seemingly endless wells of information, and Kagome drank from them greedily. As if on some level she'd always known it'll be necessary, Kagome memorised an impossible number of scrolls, tomes and books, and the result was undeniable.

Eight hundred years in the past, where her bloodline was no limitation, Kagome was the Number One Rising Star of the Cultivation World!

'Honest or crooked, the path doesn't matter!' she'd crowed in her heart victoriously through each advancement, 'cheat codes are only cheat codes when everybody knows them! Here and now, this knowledge's only mine, therefore I am indeed a _genius_!'

Overestimating herself?

No, Kagome didn't think she was.

You see, she had indisputable proof of her potential – you know, aside from the fact she was actually fished from the future specifically for her talent, duh.

After all, her inauguration was all her own, and her invocation was legendary to the point other sects have heard about it.

What's so special about an invocation, you ask?

Well.

It's a holy summoning ritual, preformed in a purified circle so that absolutely no outer forces can interfere. Whatever's done, is done by the power of the contestant alone. And it's not everyday a true-blue Sect Immortal is summoned forth by a slip of a girl, to welcome her with open arms, a smile and a '_what took you so long_?'


End file.
